Republicans say claims of sequestration effects on aviation not backed up by facts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Announcements by members of the president’s administration about sequestration’s effect on the FAA and aviation are not backed up by facts, says Congressional Republican members of committees in both the Senate and House.

“Before jumping to conclusions that furloughs must be implemented, the administration and the agency need to sharpen their pencils and consider all the options,” said Sen. John Thune (R-SD), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Science and Transportation, and Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) chairman of its subcommittee on aviation.

They called prematurely outlining the potential impacts before identifying other savings “not helpful,” adding the FAA is well positioned to absorb spending reductions without compromising the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system. Congress has been requesting information from the FAA since August, but none has been provided, bringing on the charge that dire warnings are not backed up.

The FAA has received funding increases in recent years but domestic flights are down 27% from pre-9/11 levels, the lawmakers note. Over the last 10 years, the FAA’s annual budget has increased almost $3 billion (41%) in its operations account. The FAA spends approximately $500 million on consultants and $200 million on supplies and travel, the lawmakers add.

Good job, Charles. Nothing like offering some real numbers instead of not so veiled threats.

So it would seem that FAA top management is lying to the American people, to Congress, and even to their own employees. But they aren’t special. Nearly all the federal piggies are crying. It’s just that threatening to drop airplanes out of the sky is far more dramatic than delayed meat inspections.

What on earth is the federal government doing still inspecting meat anyway? That seems like a function that could be handled very well at the state level.